On 26 October 2026, OnePlus brought its first clip-on earbuds, the Buds Clip, to market. This is an open model: the arm sits behind the ear rather than going into the ear canal. The main feature is that the earbuds are not tied to a side. They can be worn on either ear, and built-in sensors determine their position and switch the stereo channels accordingly.
Each earbud weighs just 5,2 grams. The C-shaped arm is made of a flexible nickel-titanium alloy (Ni-Ti) and adapts to the shape of the ear. The design has received the TÜV Rheinland Comfortable Fit certification. The company promises that they can be worn all day without creating strong pressure on the cartilage, and for those who cannot tolerate in-ear tips, this may be the main argument.
The sound is produced by two drivers in each earbud: a 11-millimeter woofer for the lows and a 9-millimeter tweeter for the highs. Each driver has its own DAC. Sound tuning was handled by the Danish company Dynaudio, with which OnePlus also works on its other earbuds. The LHDC 5.0, AAC and SBC codecs are claimed; some publications, however, call it LHDC 3.0, so the LHDC version still needs to be confirmed with the manufacturer. The Dipole Sound-Field technology emits out-of-phase waves through the rear openings, and this noticeably reduces sound leakage: the person next to you will hear less of your playlist.
For calls, an array of six microphones is used, including bone-conduction sensors that pick up the voice through skull vibrations and filter out background noise. The work is handled by a 6-nm AI chip, which also supports built-in speech translation when paired with a compatible OnePlus smartphone. The earbuds can send an alert if one of them falls out of the ear, and they support gesture controls for adjusting the volume.
Battery life is claimed at up to 9,5 hours on a single charge; with the case, up to 40 hours. Protection meets the IP55 standard, meaning the earbuds can withstand dust and splashes, but not immersion. Bluetooth 6.1 and simultaneous connection to two devices are supported, so you can switch between a laptop and a phone without re-pairing. Google Fast Pair and Windows Swift Pair are supported. You can choose one of three colors: Pearl White, Twilight Rose or Pebble Gray.
As for the price, there is still complete uncertainty. OnePlus has announced neither the cost nor a date for global sales, although the product page has already appeared on the company's global website. In Hong Kong, an authorized retailer sells the Buds Clip for HK$1 199, roughly $153. This is a regional reference point, not a global recommended price.
There is also important context for buyers from the US and UK. OnePlus has reduced its presence in these markets this year, and its latest smartphones were not supplied there either, so the chance of buying the new product officially there is slim. The competitors remain the Sony LinkBuds Open, which has already set the tone in the clip-on earbuds category, and the second-generation Bose Ultra Open.
The main trump card of the Buds Clip is its symmetrical design and the Dynaudio signature, while the question of availability remains open: without an official price and clear launch dates in key markets, it is too early to say whether they will become a hit.
